An uninterrupted blissful night sleep may be the ultimate in Holistic RESToration. But the truth is, only few of us are able to achieve such restorative sleep; most of whom are young children. So why is it that maybe the most simplistic of human health necessities, “sleep” and “restoration” elude so many of us? I believe that the answer is an inter-related myriad of habitual lifestyle and environmental issues that are preventing us from restoring ourselves. When our sleep is unforgiving, we are often equally dehydrated. My experience is that our quality of sleep and our level of hydration are proportionate to one another. As a result, our sleep and hydration then work together to achieve optimal health; yet there is no stronger influence on our sleep and hydration than our diet. For it is so important to remember that everything we put into our body is either hydrating us or dehydrating us; and therefore supporting or compromising our restoration. I find that when I am eating clean food, ideally fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, my sleep is sound and my ability to attract and retain high quality drinking water(local spring is ideal) is most profound. The truth is, one sip of coffee or a little synthetic sugar can foster a confusing, exhausting, dehydrating, and over-eating, acidic binge. One that can begin a sleep deprivation abyss that can last weeks, months or even years. It can be so confusing, that many of us are actually numb to the fact that our daily dietary practice is dehydrating, causes headaches, and leads to stressful night sleeps. The practice of regularly consuming a clean and nourishing diet, along with optimal hydration and restoration requires an awareness and diligence that must be approached with ultimate reverence. Almost as if our quality of life depends on it. Why? Because it does. The concept of restoration is incredibly forgiving, and in my opinion it is worth changing anything and everything in our lives to experience it. For when we have the self-awareness and discipline to live a lifestyle focussed on restoration; optimal health and longevity inevitably follow. For example, some priorities to consider include: avoiding anxiety-suppressing stimulants; going horizontal (resting) when necessary regardless of the environment or time of the day; and practicing breath-work, exercise, and stretching. So how do we start to increase self-awareness and discipline? And now that we understand how every action can effect our health, how can we change our patterns to focus more on our restoration? Our Passion flower (Passiflora quadrangularis) is our garden's restoration medicine. It may just be the most potent nervine and sedative that we grow. Filled with beautiful feminine moon energy, the vibrant Passion flower (also known as Lilikoi in Hawaiian) provides a calming connection to mother nature that is filled with profound restorative information. The Passion flower teaches us how to intercept the exhausting stimulants, detoxify anxiety-causing blockages, tune us into alkaline foods, increase self-awareness of our restorative state, and inevitably help us maintain a stress-free lifestyle. However, the Passion flower, like all plant medicine, does not provide the cure alone. The cure resides in us, and has since the day we were born. The information to heal ourselves however, has been blocked or held captive by habitual practices, or impacted by environmental influences. The plants possess calm and restorative energy that can help re-educate us on how to self-care and set that information free. We are so grateful for the restorative qualities of the Passion flower, which can be experienced in our Lilikoi Tincture and exquisite Tranquility Tea. USES

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